Bigtent Creative Files Suit Against Governor Gregory Abbott to Fight Against Texas Voter Suppression
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Friday, Bigtent Creative joined forces with the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans in a federal suit against Gregory Abbott in his official capacity as the Governor of Texas after his impeding of the expansion of safe and accessible ballot return locations throughout the state.
Bigtent Creative is an advocacy organization that utilizes social media networks and influencers to reach Gen Z voters to register and get out the vote. With the legal aid of Perkins Coie, LLP, Bigtent intends to block the Governor's voter suppression tactics that they believe discriminate against not only older voters but also the young voters they represent.
"Bigtent Creative was started with the sole purpose of investing in, reaching and mobilizing young voters of color," Ysiad Ferreiras, CEO of Bigtent Creative said. "Texas makes up 20% of the voters we've registered, about 35% of whom identify as Latinx. With this suppression tactic, Governor Abbott is attempting to limit the ability for these young people to have their voices heard in our democracy."
Gen Z has grown up in a world where party affiliation matters less than the issues impacting their generation. Protecting Black lives, environmental justice, LGBT+ rights and gun violence prevention are front and center in this year's election, the first presidential ballot for many members of Gen Z. As a result, 85.9% of the voters Bigtent has registered on TikTok and other platforms are voters under 25 and 60% are women. Only 30% have indicated a party preference, tracking with Gen Z's status as the least partisan generation.
"We believe that this voter suppression tactic that Governor Abbott's team is attempting to use in one of the most diverse states in the country is a clear form of discrimination against large subsets of voters in this year's monumental election," said Abeyaz Amir, Bigtent Creative's head of outreach, whose role in the organization is to empower influencers of color and reach voters. "In particular, this executive order impacts working class Americans who can't afford to get sick or miss work to wait in long lines to drop off their ballot."
In blocking the Governor's new policy, Bigtent Creative intends to enable Texas counties to provide the necessary amount of ballot return locations. Bigtent Creative and its fellow plaintiffs are calling for ballot locations to be based on their local population's voter count and needs among their communities such as access, safety and efficiency so that all voters have the ability to make their vote count.
Background: Bigtent Creative, an advocacy organization, partners with influencers on TikTok and other emerging social platforms to mobilize their followers to engage in the democratic process. In the past two months, the organization's campaigns have registered over 20,000 voters, 85.9% of the voters Bigtent has registered on TikTok and other platforms are under 25 years old, and over 60% are women. Only 30% have indicated a party preference, tracking with Gen Z's status as the least partisan generation.
Their campaigns focus on collaborating with young influencers of color, who are uniquely positioned to connect with historically difficult-to-mobilize communities. Influencers who have already partnered with Bigtent include Quen Blackwell, Will Wahoney and Chris Udulla, among dozens of others.
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SOURCE Bigtent Creative
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